Half a day at a botanical garden

With my university nestled at the foot of Mt. Makiling, I have been meaning to visit the Makiling Botanic Garden ever since I started my masters degree. Only after one semester did I had a chance (forcing my sister to tag along). It was only about a 5-minute drive from where we were staying within the UPLB campus. You will take the uphill route to Forestry which also the same route to the Mt. Makiling Reserve, pass the arc that says "Forestry". After a few meters at the right side you will get to see the Mt. Makiling Botanic Garden sign. At the gate was a parking lot which means you would have to proceed on foot.

The entrance fee was P20 and they also sell softdrinks and bottled water. Something tells us we were going to need them(cold drinks) and so we bought one each. It also helps if you bring an umbrella as there were paths without shade.

We started out looking at the map not really knowing how big it was. But I can say, it was well maintained. The paths were clean and the flowers and trees were tended. Naturally there were different flora and fauna and I was surprised to find a river inside the botanic garden.

To get to the river, we had to walk down a flight of steps. From above, the sound of splashing water readily reaches our ears. By the time we got to the bottom of the steps, we were astounded to see a pool-like structure momentarily accumulating the water. It also has a mini-falls at the side of the pool allowing the river to continue on its journey.

Some of the flowers in bloom at the garden

We walked for about an hour and we got tired easily because of the hot weather and the uphill paths. (quite thankful for the cold drinks!) But I was awed at the place at the vast species of plants. And there were also birds, butterflies, and dragonflies.

It also was a great venue for gatherings like weddings and they also had a picnic area.It also struck us as the perfect place to study. It was very peaceful and very serene.

It was already 3:30 pm by the time we got to the Nursery area so we decided to get back down. (They close at 4:00 pm)

What better way to close the day with a glass of cold coffee and cheesecake. Since we were still on the explorative vibe, we thought of the Coffee shop inside IRRI. We passed thru Pili drive, passing the PhilRice building. We got to the entrance and we were asked to leave an ID (driver's license) before entering.

At the coffee shop, we tried their delicious cheesecake and coffee. Plus, there was an artisan chocolate on sale at the counter. Dark Chocolate with Green Mango with Sea salt. Hmm.. curiouser and curiouser.. You can taste the salt and green mango bits as they were placed...embedded in the dark chocolate.  It was okay, but my sister didn't like it.

At least, that's one off my bucket list for my Los Banos experience. :)